On Friday, King David kicked off its annual Random Acts of Chesed (RAC) Week. In the morning we were joined by students from RJDS, whose RAC Week activities ended today. We were also joined by VTT, who kicked off their RAC Week yesterday. Together, all three schools spent the morning celebrating the gift of giving and kindness.

This year, our RAC Week theme is "The Giving Tree", created by our Grade 12 class, who have been busy all week decorating the atrium and organizing various activities for the coming week. Today they started the festivities with their own play, inspired by the Shel Silverstein book, "The Giving Tree".

As part of the kick-off, three King David alumni, Adi Burton, Aaron Friedland, and Shane Golden inspired the students with accounts of how their lives and careers have been impacted through their understanding of the importance of Tikkun Olam gained during their time at King David.

As a final group activity, both RJDS and VTT joined the King David students in a pack-a-thon to prepare care packages of toiletries and other necessities. During the afternoon, all King David students headed downtown to distribute the packages to those in need.

At King David, service learning is about tikkun olam – making the world a better place. Through class discussions, field trips, and school-wide projects, we aim to provide a range of volunteer experiences that allow students to become connected, engaged leaders in their local and global communities.

Our annual RAC Week is inspired by Gabrielle Isserow z"l’s commitment to always doing good deeds. Through the leadership and dedication of our staff, and the generous support of donors to the Gabrielle Isserow z"l Chesed Fund, random acts of kindness are now at the core of all we do.

As part of their acts of kindness next week, students have expressed interest in volunteering with young and old atneighbourhood schools and retirement homes. As a result, well over 100 students will be volunteering their time in Vancouver’s inner-city schools, as well as visiting with the elderly in retirement residences, while 100 more will be working in a variety of community organizations including Ronald McDonald House, Quest Outreach, the Aboriginal Mothers Centre, and Union Gospel Mission.

Stay tuned for more next week!

King David alumni Rachel Azeroual, Eli Landa, Rebecca Azeroual, Shane Golden, Aaron Friedland, and Adi Burton, returned to inspire students with memories from their Mitzvah Day experiences and their continued involvement in community service.

Testing the Concept of Projectile Motion

The Physics 12 students took on a project to build a ball launching machine as a way to put the concept of projectile motion they had covered in the classroom into a real-world application. The process involved designing the machine, building it by hand, testing it for accuracy and predictability, and, finally, launching it nearly 7 meters at a 25×25 cm target. The teams came impressively close to the target, as an eager crowd in the atrium cheered them on. By all accounts, the project worked to enhance their level of engagement with 2-dimensional motion, and experience the cyclical process of design.

Adam and Lis

Every Face has a Name

This week, King David’s Grade 11 and 12 students were invited to a complimentary screening of one of this year’s Jewish Film Festival documentaries. The film

Every Face Has a Name documented the lives and explored the stories of people who came to Sweden as refugees after the Holocaust. This film, unlike many other holocaust films, focuses on the joy the survivors experienced upon being granted access to other countries as refugees. The film compares the experience of Holocaust survivors to the ongoing experiences of Syrian and African refugees, currently seeking new places to live safely. When watching the struggle of refugees, many can disregard these people as a sea of faces, as "others" that lead completely different lifestyles, and don’t think or feel the way that "we" do. Adding a personal narrative to a face among thousands allows outside viewers to understand that refugees have personal lives, just as anyone else does. The parallel between modern refugees and the Holocaust helps us as Jews empathize with the plight of today’s refugees, as many of our parent, grandparents, and relatives were once in a similar position.

~ Leora and Braden, Grade 12

I thought it was visually brilliant and the pacing gave time for thought without being too slow. The chance to look deeper into the personal stories of that moment in history was incredibly valuable and humanizing. The reminder that history is built out of the experiences of human beings was very powerful. The connection to current events was strong without being overemphasized. I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to experience the film.

~ Amanda Cameron, Social Studies Teacher

Thank you to Robert Albanese, Executive Director of the Vancouver Jewish Film Centre, and the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival for the invitation to attend a special screening of this educational film.

Shabbat Shalom!

Community Events

Social Skills 101 with Dr. Gail Krivel-Zacks

Jewish Community Centre

Tuesdays

November 1 – December 6

5:00-6:00 p.m.

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Gesher

Leadership Opportunities

Wednesdays

Sept. 21 – Dec. 14

4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

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JCC Open House

Tuesday, November 22

5:00-7:30 p.m.

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JCC Used Book Sale

November 27 – December 1

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Get Ready for Chanukah Party

Sunday, December 4

10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

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High School Students: Consider a Post-Secondary Gap Year of Yeshiva Study in Israel